Santa Gertrudis Source September 2024

SANTA GERTRUDIS

Source

SEPTEMBER 2024 • VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 8

Integrity, Quality, Tradition & Hospitality Tradition & Hospitality 36 th Annual Santa Gertrudis ALABAMA CONNECTION SALE

Mark your calendar! 11:00 a.m. October 5, 2024 Cullman Stockyards Cullman, Ala.

Selling

65 REGISTERED FEMALES

Guest Consignors Bar M Farm DP Cattle Co DMC Farm High Country Farm Lou Al Tuck Farm Ridge Point Ranch

Hotel Information All hotels located on I-65, exit 310 Best Western (256) 737-5009 Comfort Suites (256) 255-5999 Econo Lodge (256) 734-0122 Hampton Inn (256) 739-4444 Holiday Inn Express (256) 736-1906 Quality Inn (256) 734-1240

Strait Ranches Stegall Farms

David Branch Flying C Ranch Graves Creek Ranch Harris Farms

Ward Farm Zajic Farms 777 Farms

Delmo & Wilmuth Payne, Owners Hamilton, Ala. Cell: (205) 468-5319 delmo.payne@gmail.com • grandviewfarm.biz Brent Shaw, Manager (205) 412-5761

Arlin Taylor, Manager Hanceville, Ala. • (256) 507-3838 arlin.taylor@bhamfast.com • tinneyfarms.com

Contact Darren Richmond for a catalog or more information ( 423) 364-9281 · djrichmd@gmail.com

P.O. Box 1257, Kingsville, Texas 78364 Phone: (361) 592-9357 • Fax: (361) 592-8572 SANTA GERTRUDIS BREEDERS INTERNATIONAL OFFICIAL PUBLICATION info@santagertrudis.com www.santagertrudis.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Chris McClure chris@santagertrudis.com MEMBER SERVICES Kristy Gonzalez kristy@santagertrudis.com MEMBER SERVICES ASSISTANT Olga Martinez olga@santagertrudis.com DNA COORDINATOR Melissa Braden melissa@santagertrudis.com MEMBER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE Darren Richmond djrichmd@gmail.com • (423) 364-9281 SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE PUBLISHER BluePrint Media 18443 Bandana Lane • Wellington, CO 80549 info@blueprintma.com EDITOR Lisa Bard lbard@blueprintma.com • (970) 222-7422 MANAGING EDITOR Jessie Topp-Becker jbecker@blueprintma.com • (701) 307-0772 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathie Bedolli kbedolli@blueprintma.com • (540) 842-8228 MATERIALS COORDINATOR Megan Sajbel Field ADMINISTRATION Leslie McKibben COPY EDITOR Larisa Willrett SALES REPRESENTATIVE Darren Richmond djrichmd@gmail.com • (423) 364-9281 Santa Gertrudis SOURCE (ISSN-10985026, USPS-013-876) is published monthly by Santa Gertrudis SOURCE located at 18443 Bandana Lane, Wellington, CO 80549. Periodicals postage paid at Wellington, CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER : Send address changes to: Santa Gertrudis SOURCE , 18443 Bandana Lane, Wellington, CO 80549. Santa Gertrudis SOURCE is only available to members of Santa Gertrudis Breeders International. Visit https://santagertrudis.com/join-sgbi/ to join and receive the magazine as a service of your membership. Materials in Santa Gertrudis SOURCE may not be reproduced without the permission from the publisher. Santa Gertrudis SOURCE is recognized by the Santa Gertrudis Breed ers International as the official breed publication for Santa Gertrudis cattle; however, management, editing and financial responsibilities are vested in BluePrint Media LLC. We reserve the right to edit or refuse any copy or advertising material submitted for publication. BluePrint Media, LLC hereby expressly limits its liability resulting from any and all misprints, errors and/or inaccuracies in advertisement or editorial content. The opinions and views expressed in all editorial material are those of the writer or the person interviewed and not necessarily those of Santa Gertrudis SOURCE .

VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 8 Source SANTA GERTRUDIS SEPTEMBER 2024

FEATURES

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BIF 2024: Matching Genetics to the Enivornment

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BIF 2024: Terminal Crossbreeding

2023 SEMEN CATALOG

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Junior Board Retreat

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2025 Semen Catalog Announcement

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SGBI Connections

IN EVERY ISSUE 6

RESULTS & REPORTS 18 Activity Report 18 New Members 18 Sale Report

From the Front Office President’s Perspective Production Tips & Tools

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ON THE COVER Pinnacle Cattle Co., LLC, Schulenburg, Texas Photo by Cate Doubet.

Junior Voices

Calendar Ad Index

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SEPTEMBER 2024

Providing Polled Power Genetics to the Santa Gertrudis Breed

CREECH FARMS 12483 NC 39 • Zebulon, NC 27597 Tony (919) 427-4679 Brandon (919) 761-3894 ccreech6@gmail.com Herd No. 16769 • Herd No. 37879 CF

5J’S CATTLE COMPANY Jody Standley, Owner (919) 291-4212 Clayton, NC 27520 Jack & Sam Standley, Farm Managers J: (919) 602-8640 • S: (919) 737-4994 www.fivejsfarm.com

777 FARMS Chad, Jamie, Patrick, Erin-Kay & Caroline Daniel (870) 904-3070 triple7farms@gmail.com 2018-2022 Breeder of the Year

We Are Proud to be Consigning to the 36 th Annual Alabama Connection Sale OUR CONSIGNMENTS WILL INCLUDE:

GCR 361 Calf at side

DIAMOND L ROXANNE 228

Also Diamond L Roxanne is a daughter of 2015 National Champion Circle A Real Deal. Circle A Real Deal. She is the epitome She is the epitome of femininity and structural correctness. Her dam is TF 199, TF 199, who is double-bred who is double-bred Hatchet 150/6. Hatchet 150/6. Roxanne sells with an outstanding heifer calf, GCR 361, born 11/12/23. She is sired by our exciting young herd sire, G.O. Never Fear 17 ET, G.O. Never Fear 17 ET, who is a son of who is a son of RDF Never Before 1136 RDF Never Before 1136 and Red Doc Ruby 4105. Roxanne sells bred to CB Hawks Christmas 840. CB Hawks Christmas 840. We will also be consigning GCR 364 GCR 364 to the Strait-Hefte

Graves Creek Ranch (601) 270-1561

2024 Tried & True Sale. She’s an SR MPACT 2/H4 SR MPACT 2/H4 daughter. Her dam is by SR Marksman 33/19 SR Marksman 33/19 and the great donor Briggs 621F6. Briggs 621F6.

Flying C Ranch Lester & Ouida Cossey 2639 Gum Springs Rd., Searcy, AR 72143

PASSION FARMS AlRashid & Santos Family 4753 Soda Springs Rd. Luling, Texas frank.santos@veritacor.com (512) 508-6747

Graves Creek Ranch

GC

Barry Powell Columbia, MS (601) 270-1561

(501) 207-2272 ouidac@att.net

SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE bpowell@powelltransportation.com

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SEPTEMBER 2024

FROM THE FRONT OFFICE • Chris McClure • (361) 592-9357 • chris@santagertrudis.com

Business or Busyness? D o you view your cattle busi ness like a true business? Do you have a plan? Do you know your costs of op

Start with a vision of where you want to be one, three, five and 10 years down the road. Learn how to articulate that vision in 30 seconds or less.

eration, your value of inventory, your bottom line? If you don’t, you aren’t running a business, but I suspect there is a lot of busyness going on. What is your marketing program for your business? Do you have a marketing budget? Do you have a marketing calendar? Do you hire someone with creative expertise to develop your marketing materials, or do you “cobble it together” yourself? What are some elements necessary to begin treating your business like a business?  Start with a vision of where you want to be one, three, five and 10 years down the road. Learn how to articulate that vision in 30 sec onds or less. Strip out all of the fat and get focused.  Develop a plan that includes a series of goals to achieve your vi sion. These should be concrete, measurable steps that you plan to accomplish. Each step should take you closer to achieving your vision for your business.  Part of your plan should be a couple of calendars. You need an opera tions calendar that includes breed ing season, calving season, wean ing, DNA sampling, ultrasound and all of the other steps necessary to build the data from which to make quality breeding decisions. The other calendar is a marketing calendar. This one is your plan for representing your cattle to poten tial buyers. For this calendar you need to work backward from your target sale. Advertising requires a lead time. Most publications must have content at least 30 days prior to going to print. Plan to email and

 Do you invest in your own educa tion? The business environment in which we operate changes rap idly, and it is necessary that we constantly update our knowledge.  Part of that change is in the area of environmental and societal re sponsibility. Does your plan include those aspects of doing business?  Write out your plan. It is critical that your plan – all pieces of it – be in written form. Your calendars should be visible and readily avail able to all involved so they can plan for upcoming events and proce dures. Nearly everyone involved in the breed is a successful business person, however, there are some who fail to treat their cattle operations as a busi ness. If it truly is “just a hobby” for you, that’s great and I hope that it will always be enjoyable. If, on the other hand, it needs to contribute to a posi tive bottom line, how you approach it becomes extremely important. The bottom line is that your success is your responsibility – no one else can do it for you. If no one shows up at the sale to buy your cattle, that’s on you. If your animals don’t perform as expected, that’s on you. Okay, I real ize there occasionally are factors that are out of your control, but at the end of the day, we are each responsible for our own actions and how we respond to those unexpected challenges. There are experts who can help you with many of the items mentioned here. Always feel free to reach out to me and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

call prospective customers over a series of weeks prior to any sale. If you don’t ask people to be there to bid on your cattle, they probably won’t be.  You need to develop a budget for your business. In order to build that budget, you must first know your costs – for everything – includ ing your time. Just like measuring various phenotypic traits to inform your breeding plan, you must mea sure the costs of doing business.  Breeding plans are also a neces sary component for success. This ties directly into your vision. If that vision includes producing calves that are in the top 1 percent of the breed, you need a plan to get there. Remember, one-half of that equation is the genetics of the cow. You can’t fix everything with the “right” bull, but you can make significant progress.  You need a maintenance plan for equipment and infrastructure. Preventive maintenance is much cheaper than triage. If something is going to break down, it seems to always happen at the worst pos sible time. A little prevention can eliminate that type of panic.  Do you have a regular training program for your staff? Do you evaluate them on their areas of re sponsibility on a regular basis? It is very expensive to hire and train employees, but it is almost always better to educate and motivate than to replace. That’s just my ex perience. The corporate world has a very different philosophy.

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SEPTEMBER 2024

36 TH ALABAMA CONNECTION SALE Cullman Stockyards Cullman, Ala. • 11 a.m. OCT. 5, 2024 Grandview Farms

We Are Offering a Powerful Set of Bred Heifers Along With Pairs & Open Heifers

20225917

20225918

SELLING 4 Miss Grandview Gucci 038 daughters

2022660

20223721

SELLING These daughters of PROVEN Grandview herd sires ALSO

Grandview Farms Hamilton, AL

OWNERS: Delmo & Wilmuth Payne CELL PHONE: (205) 468-5319 EMAIL: delmo.payne@gmail.com

MANAGER: Brent Shaw (205) 412-5761 EMAIL: brent.shaw007@gmail.com HERDSMAN: Seth Holmes (205) 412-7053

SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE

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SEPTEMBER 2024

SGBI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE • Adolfo Sanchez, M.D.

OFFICERS PRESIDENT Adolfo Sanchez PRESIDENT ELECT Suzanne Fulton SECRETARY/TREASURER Suzanne Fulton BREED IMPROVEMENT Arlin Taylor LONG RANGE PLANNING Jamie Daniel MARKETING & PROMOTION Daniel Kubecka WESTERN REGION DIRECTORS Suzanne Fulton • Fulton Farms • Texas (940) 382-3611 • fultonfarms39@gmail.com John Justiss • Four J Cattle • Texas (361) 772-0301 • jjustiss@gvec.net Daniel Kubecka • Wendt Partners • Texas (979) 240-5311 • wendtranches@hotmail.com Devlin Reese • Reese Ranch • Texas (956) 286-4239 • reese.ranch@yahoo.com Yancey Strait • Strait Ranches • Texas (972) 841-0989 • yancey_strait@yahoo.com Bill Stroman • Stroman Cattle Co. • Texas (979) 255-2582 • bill@fdrservices.com Kade Thigpen • Hefte Ranch • Texas (830) 426-1366 • kadethigpen@gmail.com (870) 904-3070 • triple7farms@gmail.com Craig Lopossa • Red View Farms • Indiana (812) 829-8053 • craiglopossa@yahoo.com Todd Osborne • Osborne Livestock Co. • Kentucky (859) 991-2438 • peppydoc1@aol.com Trai Stegall • Stegall Farms • Mississippi (662) 296-5120 • trais3@hotmail.com Arlin Taylor • Tinney Farms • Alabama (256) 507-3838 • arlin.taylor@bhamfast.com AT-LARGE DISTRICT DIRECTORS DISTRICT 1 Adolfo Sanchez • Red Doc Farm • New Mexico (505) 507-2898 • adolfo@reddocfarm.com DISTRICT 2 Patti Ermis • Urbanosky Ranch • Texas (936) 870-6410 • pattiurb77@yahoo.com DISTRICT 3 Kim Wiley • Wiley Ranch • Louisiana (318) 481-6927 • kkwiley2555@yahoo.com DISTRICT 4 Barry Powell • Graves Creek Ranch LLC • Mississippi (601) 270-1561 • bpowell@powelltransportation.com DISTRICT 5 Mickey Bowman • Rockin B Farm • North Carolina (336) 669-5771 • rockinbrowdyrooster@yahoo.com DISTRICT 6 Jewett Borden • Cedar Creek Farm • Kentucky (502) 718-5441 • jewett.borden@yahoo.com MEMBERSHIP Mickey Bowman YOUTH ACTIVITIES Trai Stegall EASTERN REGION DIRECTORS Jamie Daniel • 777 Farms • Arkansas

A Look at the Future

A s time allows, I enjoy reviewing beef industry publications. Reading articles written by producers in other areas of the country provides me with a different perspective on herd management and marketing practices. These articles also offer the thoughts of industry leaders from the nation’s different beef-producing regions. Last month, an interview in Illinois Farmer Today of Paul Walker, Ph.D., caught my attention. Walker spent more than 30 years as a professor of animal science at Illinois State University and has served in countless state and federal industry leadership positions, in cluding serving as co-chair of the Nutrition and Health Committee of the Cat tlemen’s Beef Board that administers the national Beef Checkoff. In the interview, Walker touched on a number of topics regarding the future of the beef industry. However, it was his thoughts about the future role of the seedstock producer that caught my attention and made me think about our asso ciation and its future in this rapidly evolving industry.

What remains critical is that Santa Gertrudis breeders continue to turn out numbers of cattle that are eligible for registration and are made available to either lifestyle markets or commercial markets.

Walker believes there will be two types of seedstock producers in the future. He thinks there will be larger scale, production-oriented producers, and there will be smaller scale produc ers whom he refers to as “lifestyle producers.” In his

opinion, lifestyle producers will have cattle because they like cattle and they like the lifestyle that owning cattle provides. They may raise and sell show cattle, or they may target a direct-to-consumer market. He made the point that these producers may make serious income selling high-valued show cattle or they may have a substantial tax-deduction. However, he noted that changes made by these producers have little impact on the commercial industry. Walker said changes made by the large-scale producers do have consequenc es for the production chain. He pointed out that large-scale producers are more likely to adopt and utilize the latest technology, especially those that increase efficiency. By taking advantage of economies of scale, these large operations can create efficiencies in production, marketing and distribution, which reduces costs and, ultimately, increases net profit. According to Walker, the bottom line is that larger beef operations generate more revenue than smaller ones due to economies of scale and have an impact on the commercial industry. However, he is quick to point out smaller opera tions that produce a superior, value-added product at a lower volume of pro duction can be profitable. Walker concluded that there is a need for both types of operations, and I agree. That said, these changing trends in breed associations will continue to un fold. What remains critical is that Santa Gertrudis breeders continue to turn out numbers of cattle that are eligible for registration and are made available to either lifestyle markets or commercial markets.

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SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE

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Matching Cattle Genetics to the Environment

T he Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) was founded in 1968 with the purpose of advancing and coordinating all segments of the beef cattle industry, connecting science and industry to improve beef genetics. The annual sympo sium was held June 10-13 in Knoxville, Tenn., with pre senters coming from across the country to share their ex pertise. The presentations kicked off with Jared Decker, Ph.D.,

Florida, and took cows from the Florida research station to Montana. The notable takeaway from the study was that the cows native to Mon tana that were relocated to Florida had a pregnancy rate of 55 percent, which was 21 to 28 percent lower than the other groups of cattle in the study. The results highlighted the emphasis on genetics by environment (G x E) interac tions, specifically the focus of G x E interactions on repro duction.

TRESSA LAWRENCE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jared Decker, Ph.D.

Wurdack Chair of Animal Genomics and As sociate Professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri, sharing about match ing cattle genetics to the environment. “Is it worthwhile to try and match your ge netics to the environment?” Decker asked at the beginning of his presentation. Environmental Stressors Decker explained that environmental stressors such as extreme heat and cold, high altitude and fescue toxicosis cost the beef in dustry an estimated $1 billion every year. This has been a concern in the cattle industry over the last 70 years. Decker referenced a study conducted in the 1960s that took cattle from a research facility in Miles City, Mont., and moved them to Brookfield Research Station in

“When cows are under environmental stress, you tend to end up with more open fe males, and the females that do get pregnant tend to have poor body condition scores be cause of the stress,” Decker explained. G x E interactions have the most significant impact on reproduction, body condition and metabolism. According to Decker, there are currently three different U.S. Department of Agriculture grant-funded projects that are studying the influence of G x E interactions on cattle. The first project has honed in on local adaptation functions that affect blood vessel constriction and dilation, which is important when regarding heat and cold weather tol erance, altitude stress and fescue toxicosis. Other impacts associated with G x E interac tions were metabolism and immune response,

“We have the technology now to measure traits that are greatly impacted by environment and generate genetic evaluations for these traits.” – Jared Decker, Ph.D.

Continued on 12 »

This slide from Jared Decker’s presentation shows data collected from the cattle swap experiment of the 1960s that took cattle from Montana to Florida and vice versa. The data shows that cattle from Montana living in the heat of Florida had significantly lower pregnancy rates.

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SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE

SEPTEMBER 2024

SANTA GERTRUDIS DISTRICT VI BREEDERS

OLC Jessie James 223

#20230285

31ST ANNUAL Look for Our Consignments

And Dont Forget! ’ We're Excited About His Future!

See Our Consignments

 2024 Runner-Up SGBI High Point Bull Calf  2024 National Show Class Winner  2024 Indiana State Fair Yearling Champion Bull Look for him at this falls’ shows with Alan & Nathan Barlowe.

DISTRICT 6 HALTERED HEIFER SHOW & SALE SEPT. 13-14, 2024 CORYDON, INDIANA

SEPT. 13-14, 2024 CORYDON, INDIANA

OSBORNE LIVESTOCK

SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE RED VIEW FARMS 5480 Jordan Village Rd. Poland, IN 47868 (812) 829-8053 craiglopossa@yahoo.com MATTINGLY FARMS CODY MATTINGLY Roger, Ivye, Whitney & Chase 514 Liberty Rd. Battletown, Ky. 40108 (270) 668-3177 mattinglyfarms96@yahoo.com

JEWETT BORDEN Shepardsville, Ky. CEDAR CREEK Farms (502) 718-5441 jewett.borden@yahoo.com arker arms Charles, Deanna, Chip, June & Carsen Parker 5552 Jackson Hwy. • Cave City, KY 42127 (270) 590-9400 • (270) 670-6285 parkerfarms@scrtc.com P F

WindCrest Farm John & Nolan Taylor Gertguys@NCTC.com REGISTERED SANTA GERTRUDIS CATTLE OSBORNE LIVESTOCK Todd, Donna, Dalton & Ashley Osborne Sparta, Ky.• Lathrop, Mo. (859) 991-2438 peppydoc1@aol.com

1238 Claggett Rd. Leitchfield, Ky. 42754

(270) 734-1670 Herd No. 1431

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ultimately affecting the ability of the livestock to cope with stressors and adapt to their environment. The other studies that Decker spoke on are focused on developing tools that are designed to help producers match cattle genetics to their environment, giving producers more tools to work with instead of solely relying on buy ing cattle from similar environments. After studying dozens of different loci associated with environmental selec tion in beef cattle, they have found that many of the allele frequencies are converging back to the breed average, meaning that cattle are likely losing local adaptation abilities because of the lack of tools to select for it. Uti lizing crossbreeding and emphasizing expected progeny differences (EPDs) are steps that Decker recommended to help address G x E interactions. “We have the technology now to measure traits that are greatly im pacted by environment and generate genetic evaluations for these traits,” Decker explained. Current Technology EPDs are beneficial to genetic evalu ations in terms of predicting G x E in teractions in cattle. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) is an impactful tool for producers who run cattle at high al titudes. Fertility indicators and stay ability continue to be a top priority for cattlemen across the country. Hair shedding is a more recent evaluation being added to some breed production EPDs, such as in the Angus association. Decker explained that hair shedding is an economically relevant trait as it directly measures an animal’s ability to deal with stress as well as to mea sure the animal’s ability to sense and respond to the environment. Produc ers concerned with heat tolerance in cattle will find this predictor extremely relevant. “[Hair shedding] is a moderately heritable trait, and the repeatability tends to be slightly above the herita bility, so with each record we get on an animal, it gives us a clearer picture of the genetic potential,” Decker said. “I think most people would be complete ly comfortable calling something that Matching Cattle Genetics to the Environment Continued from 10

measures the ability to sense and re spond to the environment ‘adaptabil ity.’ If you’re going to count adaptabil ity as a strength of your breed and as a strength of your herd, and you’re not measuring it and you’re not predicting it, you’re just telling stories. “If you’re going to promote some thing as a strength of your breed, you better be measuring it and you better be predicting it.” According to Decker, hair shedding can influence other EPDs such as mater nal growth, which is labeled as “milk” on most EPDs. It can also influence overall reproduction and animal welfare. Sustainability The ultimate goal for producers is to cultivate a sustainable herd and busi ness, and they do so by increasing ef ficiency with many producers working toward requiring fewer inputs. “There are going to be farmers and ranchers, as we move toward more sustainability [and] push for more ef

ficiency in the beef industry, [who are] going to work to decrease inputs,” Decker explained. “One of the ques tions that I got from this research was ‘Do we have the genetics and the ge netic tools to identify those cattle that are going to work under fewer inputs?’ The bigger take home from this is the management and environment.” Biological Rules Decker went on to discuss the en vironment, biological rules and laws, and how they tie into the study of G x E interactions. Bergmann’s Rule states that as you move farther away from the equator, animals tend to get larger, and therefore the thermodynamics and nutrient requirements of those animals vary. Surface law explains that differences in metabolism are largely driven by the surface area of the ani mal. Decker discussed utilizing new technologies such as 3D imaging to measure surface area for a more accu rate evaluation of metabolism.

To watch the entire presentation or for more information on the symposium, visit beefimprovement.org .

This slide from Jared Decker’s presentation explains the

significance of the hair shedding EPD. Decker emphasized that hair shedding is an economically relevant trait as it directly measures an animal’s ability to deal with stress as well as to measure the animal’s ability to sense and

respond to the environment.

This slide from Jared Decker’s presentation shows some of the ways that cattle can suffer under environmental stress.

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SANTA GERTRUDIS SMALL BREEDERS GROUP

M. C. LONGACRE, JR. Old Cedar Point Farm Elizabethtown, KY (270) 505-2910 • clongacre60@gmail.com ARROW CREEK SANTA GERTRUDIS HERD 8859

Brad & Sarah Carlile (214) 514-6145

Madisyn Douglas (913) 915-2933

Thomas Burnett (512) 676-7086 thomasb@trbautomation.com

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BONHAM, TEXAS SANTA GERTRUDIS

Herd 20797

100% Genotyped Cowherd

FRANKLIN FARMS JEREMY & KIM FRANKLIN Hughesville, MO 65334 660-596-3670 • 660.596.3668

DIAMOND G RANCH

Carley’s Show Cattle Ben, Leah & Carley Morgan 205 Madison St. • Portia, Ark.

C.S.C

Curtis Gresham Lufkin, Texas (936) 465-8850 DiamondGranchac@gmail.com

(870) 759-1948 • (870) 759-1947 benandleahmorgan@gmail.com PUREBRED SANTA GERTRUDIS AND STAR 5 CATTLE

jeremyfranklinfarms@gmail.com

Herd #38901

Congratulations Juniors! We offer our sincere congratulations to Re’ana and all the juniors who showed Ridge Point cattle at the 2024 NJSGS! It’s our honor to support the Junior Association by participating in the Donated Heifer program.

See Ridge Point cattle, including show prospects, and at the upcoming Alabama Connection and Tried & True sales!

RIDGE POINT RANCH Meadville, MS • (601) 573-0204

GRAND CHAMPION DONATED HEIFER Ridge Point 315, Re’ana Villanueva, Pearland, Texas

L ucky L F arm SEAN, RAMONA, DYLAN & KAYLEE LEDDY 550 Sunset Ridge Cave City, Ark. 72521 (870) 805-1938 luckyfarm12@gmail.com Santa Gertrudis STAR 5

Mark & Dixie Clay 4522 Hwy. 84E • Meadville, MS 39653 (601) 573-0204 • dixieclay@att.net Herd No. 1541 Ridge Point Ranch

Triple P Ranch Mike, Kim or Tate Peppercorn 11090 FM 356 • Trinity, Texas 75862 (713) 703-8937 • (281) 825-8459 (936) 222-1164 kim.peppercorn@yahoo.com Minix Cattle Company Donny and Joy Minix Aquilla, TX 76622 (817) 235-4600 thegertmoma@gmail.com Look for us!

VZ Cattle Scott & Tracy Van Zile New Boston, Texas 75570 (903) 908-2910 or (903) 908-2239 vzcattle@gmail.com

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Mickey & Josh Bowman Staley, N.C. SANTA GERTRUDIS

(336) 669-5771

(336) 215-4774

SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE

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Terminal Crossbreeding A MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN THE BEEF INDUSTRY

GRACE VEHIGE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“ Net potential for growth” – a phrase that, in some shape or form, has crossed the minds of beef producers who are striving to optimize their operations. For a cattle producer, this phrase translates to increased profitability, efficiency and productivity. Whether it in volves maximizing genetic potential, improving manage ment practices or refining business structures, the goal is always to have higher returns and better pathways for your herd and breeding program.

concept a sustainable approach to genetics, but it is also one to uncover new profit opportunities. Terminal crossbreeding involves mating a specific group of cows, typically breeds known for their maternal traits, with sires selected for their strong terminal traits. The progeny, which are not kept as replacements, are intended for the market. This system became popular in the 1970s with the intro duction of exotic/British breeds and allows producers to specialize in producing market-ready cattle while main taining their maternal herd for replacement purposes. The Benefits and Obstacles As with any business model, there are obstacles and ben efits to this breeding system. In a perfect world, every business model we use would be efficient and profitable. If that were to be true for this model, terminal crossbreeding has exceptional benefits, such as the ability to focus on specific traits for different purposes. For terminal crosses, traits such as early growth rate, carcass quality and feed efficiency are emphasized. In con trast, maternal programs prioritize fertility, low mainte nance requirements, milk production and longevity. So, when we utilize a combination program, this distinction allows for more targeted genetic progress in each area. “With the fundamental principles of animal breeding, if we can focus on pure traits, it allows faster progress per trait,” Thallman said, emphasizing this concept. “That’s one of the advantages of having different sets of traits. Each of them can be focused and make greater progress.” However, the adoption of terminal crossbreeding is not without its complexities. Thallman emphasized the need for a systemic change in how producers approach breeding and herd management, particularly in adopting strategies that prioritize efficiency and profitability. A standout obstacle he mentioned was a simple yet load ed word – tradition. Oftentimes as an industry, if it is not something that we have traditionally done, we may be hes itant to proceed, though that is not always the case. In this instance, however, the advantages to this approach can positively impact both your operation and the beef in dustry as a whole. Such advantages include, but are not lim ited to, having natural efficiency of heavier calves and car casses from smaller cows, less calving difficulty in heifers, a more uniform stream of calves with better carcass charac teristics going into feedlots and having smaller producers focusing one thing within their herds and operations.

With this in mind, Mark Thallman, Ph.D., and research geneticist at the U.S. Meat Ani mal Research Center (USMARC), opened his presentation at the 2024 Beef Improve ment Federation (BIF) Symposium with this thought-provoking message – “If the genet ic potential for growth is the same in commercial cows as it is in the bulls they are bred to, some

Mark Thallman, Ph.D.

profit potential is probably left on the table.” For beef producers, the opportunity for increased profit potential is always worth exploring, and in this case, Thall man was referring more specifically to the use of terminal crossbreeding as an avenue for growth. In doing so, pro ducers are challenged to make more targeted breeding choices, utilize new technologies and more. Throughout his presentation, Thallman spoke on a va riety of contributors relating to this breeding approach, including:  An overview of terminal crossbreeding systems  The practicality of raising replacement heifers in one-bull herds  The need for producers to specialize in producing young, bred cows with maternal genetics  Obstacles to implementation  Advantages to the entire beef industry  Breeding maternal cattle What Is Terminal Crossbreeding? While crossbreeding is not a new topic of discussion for the beef industry, looking into the potential of terminal crossbreeding systems and the possible benefits is a notion not often explored. As Thallman shared, not only is this

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 An economically feasible sexed-semen technology could make terminal crossbreeding more practical. In simple terms, Thallman suggested the following as a guideline for those interested in a terminal crossbreeding program: Maternal breeds should generally be selected for lower mature size and maternal calving ease, whereas terminal breeds should generally be selected for greater growth and greater calving ease. By leveraging the strengths of both terminal and mater nal breeding systems, we can make waves as an industry in areas of sustainability, efficiency, profitability and business growth. This involves not only adopting new technologies like sexed semen, but also altering traditional practices and exploring a more strategic approach to cattle breeding and management. Now more than ever, the beef industry stands at a cross roads. The adoption of terminal crossbreeding systems is a viable option for producers seeking to specialize their opera tions or explore new growth opportunities. However, it will require further exploration and collaboration from produc ers, researchers and industry leaders to overcome the ob stacles and to fully draw out the benefits of such an approach. As with anything in the cattle business, innovation and efficiency are key. The practice of terminal crossbreeding perfectly combines these two principles and opens the con versation for beef producers to make actionable progress. If you are interested in hearing more from Thallman on this topic, visit beefimprovement.org.

With such a variety of impacts, we all have a piece of the puzzle. The Future of Terminal Crossbreeding Thallman concluded his presentation by challenging the industry to rethink its approach to breeding and herd management. He argued that terminal crossbreeding of fers a valuable opportunity but requires a shift in mindset and management practices. Key takeaways from Thallman’s presentation include:  Smaller cows may or may not be inherently more ef ficient, but they are almost certainly more profitable if they can be bred to bulls of greater genetic poten tial for growth.  As a whole, most breeds need to decide whether they are a maternal or terminal breed.  Complementarity and terminal crossbreeding sys tems are underutilized.  A change in industry structure with regard to re placement females could benefit the entire industry. “If the genetic potential for growth is the same in commercial cows as it is in the bulls they are bred to, some profit potential is probably left on the table.” – Mark Thallman, Ph.D.

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PRODUCTION TIPS & TOOLS • Randy L. Stanko, Ph.D. • Texas A&M University-Kingsville

AI Program Realities

I mplementing a successful artificial insemination (AI) program does not occur in a vacuum. It takes planning, hard work and attention to detail. In addition to making sure your females are ready to breed, post-pubertal heif ers and at least 60-days-postpartum mature cows should have a sufficient body condition score (at least 4.5 on a 1 to 9 scale); and a synchronization of estrus program must be selected and understood. In addition, should I go conventional semen or sex-sorted se men? There is a plethora of estrus syn chronization programs available for use and each is designed to work well, depending on the specific manage ment preferences. Semen sex-sorting technology can almost guarantee (>90 percent) calf gender. One must realize that no AI program will ever match the pregnancy results one can achieve with a breeding sound ness exam-tested, fertile bull and a 90-day breeding season. That is unless we are evaluating an AI-bred herd of fewer than 10 females. Those realities are often disappointing to producers new to AI programs. Honestly, achiev ing an overall AI pregnancy rate ((# pregnant cows bred by AI ÷ # cows inseminated + non-estrus-responding cows) X 100) greater than 50 percent should be considered a win. Successful AI-pregnancy results of ≥60 percent would most definitely be a “home run.” Therefore, cost of synchronization program, semen and time should al ways be a consideration. Producers need to understand that the amount of money spent per cow in an AI pro gram may need to be doubled when calculating the cost per AI calf pro

duced. Females selected for an AI pro gram, as well as the AI sire, must be of significant genetic merit to over come the added cost of each AI calf produced. Genetic merit in terms of the top and bottom pedigree, specific crossbreed makeup, added pounds to weaning weight or beautiful replace ment heifers can all contribute to the added value of an AI-produced calf.

Canada. This study used 130 post partum, multiparous commercial beef cows exposed to a relatively new syn chronization of estrus protocol (8&6 Synch). An EAZI-Breed CIDR was in serted on -14 day concomitant with a 25-mg injection of prostaglandin F 2α analog (PGF: Lutalyse HighCon). Fac trel (100 µg GnRH) was administered on -6 day. All EAZI-Breed CIDR were

One must realize that no AI program will ever match the pregnancy results one can achieve with a breeding soundness exam-tested, fertile bull and a 90-day breeding season.

Nonetheless, sexed-semen AI pro grams have not been widely adopted by the commercial beef cattle indus try. This is mostly due to lower AI conception rates, fewer sperm cells per straw and higher per-straw cost compared to conventional semen. Sexed semen arrives to your semen tank in .25-cc straws as opposed to .50-cc straws of conventional semen. These .25-cc semen straws are half the volume and diameter but are the same length as .50-cc straws. This can be a “shocker” to “old-school” AI technicians and are a little chal lenging to handle at first exposure. Word to the wise, all semen straws will soon be .25 cc in volume due to superior thawing characteristics, and their use will require the purchase of a “universal” semen gun. Recently, data from a collaborative study between West Texas A&M and University of Arkansas was presented at the Annual American Society of Animal Science Meetings in Calgary,

removed simultaneous with a second PGF injection on 0 day. All cows re ceived a fixed-time AI with sex-sorted semen at either 66±2h (65 cows) or 72±2h (65 cows) after CIDR removal. Pregnancy rates were determined with ultrasound on day 42±1d after AI. Nei ther cow age, cow body weight nor time of estrus influenced pregnancy rate. However, time of estrus was divided into four time groups with respect to fixed time AI. Groups included non estrual cows and cows in estrus >22h, 11-22h, or <11h prior to fixed-time AI. Fixed-time AI pregnancy rates were as follows: 64 percent, 50 percent, 74 percent and 53 percent, respectively. The best time to artificially insemi nate a beef female to achieve preg nancy is 11 to 20 hours after first ob serving standing estrus. In a controlled environment, more than 50 percent of cows given an opportunity to conceive to artificial insemination may con ceive, even with sex-sorted semen. I would call that a “home run.”

George West, Texas (361) 566-2244 lacampanaranch.com campana@granderiver.net

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T he National Junior Santa Gertrudis Association Board of Directors had their directors retreat at Strait Ranches in Junior Board Retreat

HOW WILL WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE NJSGA HELP YOU IN YOUR FUTURE? JUNIOR VOICES • Avery Strait, Vice President

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Streetman, Texas. They discussed the past Na tional Junior Santa Ger trudis Show (NJSGS), pro posed changes and things they would like to keep for the 2025 NJSGS, which will be held in Chickasha, Okla. June 15-21. The first day of the retreat, the board had a

One of my favorite things about the National Junior Santa Gertrudis Association (NJSGA) is all of the learning opportunities that the breed provides. From all of the contests at the National Junior Santa Gertrudis Show (NJSGS) to the simple act of car ing for an animal, this association has prepared me for my future. One of my favorite contests at the NJSGS is public speaking because it has a real-world aspect to it. Person ally, I haven’t always been open to talking in public, or re ally talking to people in general, but this specific contest has helped in ways I can’t even describe. I once was a timid little girl hiding behind her flashcards who now speaks proudly and managed to win my division at nationals. Pub lic speaking is something that I will use every day of my life, and without this contest I wouldn’t be where I am today. Another thing this association has taught me is how to be a leader. Serving on the NJSGA Board had always been a dream of mine and, when it finally came true, I learned what it felt like to serve an association that had given so much to me. I learned to put others before my self and how to be a role model for the people around me. I’ve learned so many life lessons over the years that I don’t think I could’ve found anywhere else other than the NJSGA. All of these lessons have made me not only a better leader, but a better person, which is what is going to ultimately help me the most in the future.

day of water fun with ice breakers, leadership games and a dinner cooked by Cynthia Strait followed by a ranch tour from Yancy Strait. The second day, the board zip lined, had their board meeting and then another amazing dinner. The directors ended their retreat with breakfast and wrote thank you notes for NJSGS sponsors. The Junior Board would like to thank their host, Strait Ranches, Cynthia, Yancy and Heather Strait, Callie Loden and Trai Stegall.

A s the landscapes of the cattle industry and commu nication change, it is important that we adapt and change as well. The increased use of digital com munication, social media, short message service (SMS) texting and other forms of communication have made long format, print communication more unique than ever. We no longer need to be all things to every reader or member due to other forms of communication. Print media needs to do what it does best – inform readers on topics of broad interest in a manner that is more in-depth and timeless. Therefore, as we head into the winter and what’s ahead for 2025, we are pleased to announce the following upcoming changes to the Source .  The Source will be published eight issues per year vs. 12. Beginning with the last issue of 2024, the Source will be published on this schedule: Nov./Dec., January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August, Sept./Oct.  The SGBI Semen Catalog will now be published annu ally vs. bi-annually and included with the January issue of the Source . Santa Gertrudis Source Upcoming Changes  Show results will now be published on the SGBI website and not in the Source . Publishing show results on the website allows for more timely distribution of the results while allo cating more space in the magazine for content that is infor mative and more comprehensive to all members. We will con tinue to publish results of the National Santa Gertrudis Show and the National Junior Santa Gertrudis Show in the appro priate issues of the Source , as well as on the SGBI website.  Subscriptions will no longer be available, but the mag azine will be sent to all classes of SGBI membership, in cluding Associate and Commercial members. We greatly appreciate our advertisers and their contin ued support of the Source . Each issue will continue to be available and distributed at trade shows and other venues in order to multiply the impact those advertisements have on potential customers. As we move ahead to 2025, additional improvements will be unveiled and communicated to members. Thank you for your continued support of Santa Gertrudis Breeders Inter national and the Source .

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ACTIVITY REPORT

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Youth Activities Committee | Trai Stegall, Chair We had an awesome National Junior Santa Gertrudis Show (NJSGS) in Little Rock with almost 600 head of cattle and more than 200 juniors. It was a successful week. It has been busy wrapping up magazine and National Junior Santa Gertru dis Association (NJSGA) Board thank you notes. We have started preparing for the 2025 NJSGS, which will be June 15-21 in Chickasha, Okla., at Grady County Fairgrounds. The junior board is working on the new theme, and I will be making some final plans this fall. A NJSGA Board retreat was held at Strait Ranches with 11 of the 14 board members in attendance. Read more on page 17. A Youth Activities Committee meeting is planned for the second week of Au gust. There will be some exciting changes and additions to next year’s NJSGS. Look for more details in upcoming reports. S A I S B R E E D E R S I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Reds to Die For: Volume IV, steerbidder.com Creech Farms Field Day, Zebulon, N.C. Proud to Be American Sale, Shidler, Okla. D6 Larry Osborne Memorial SGBI Point Show, Corydon, Ind. District 6 Haltered Heifer Show & Sale, Corydon, Ind. Reese Ranch Annual Red Dirt Gert Sale & Field Day, Encinal, Texas Southeastern Empire Livestock Show, Lawrenceville, Ga. B Square “The Commitment” Production Sale, sconlinesales.com

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SALE REPORT KENTUCKY NATIONAL SALE July 20, 2024 • Bowling Green, Ky. • SALE AVERAGES • 27 Lots: $3,300 The 46th Kentucky National Sale

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Alabama Connection Sale, Cullman, Ala. Red Royalty Elite Haltered Heifer Sale, sconlinesales.com Strait-Hefte Tried & True Production Sale, Streetman, Texas

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Tri Star Sale, Bloomington, Texas

Briggs Ranches Annual Bull & Commercial Female Sale, Bloomington, Texas

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was sponsored by the Kentucky Santa Gertrudis Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The auctioneer was Corbin Cowles, the sale chair man was Cody Mattingly and the sale manager was Darren Richmond. The high-selling female, an open heifer, was consigned by Mattingly Farm, Battletown, Ky., and was sold to Flying Double A Farm, Gray, Ga., for $6,200. The high-selling bred heifer was consigned by Pitchford Cattle Co., Eustace, Texas, and was sold to Kelly Copas, Franklin, Ky., for $6,000. The high-selling STAR 5 female was consigned by Callie Derossett, Sulphur, Ky., and was sold to Kelly Copas for $3,500. The volume buyers were Flying Double A Farm and Kelly Copas.

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Mountain Laurel Classic Sale, Calhoun, Ga. Quail Valley Farms Annual Bull & Female Sale, Blountsville, Ala. Semen Catalog Space Reservation Deadline 2025 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, San Antonio, Texas Banners & Buckles Sale, Jackson, Miss. National Santa Gertrudis Show at the Dixie National Livestock Show, Jackson, Miss.

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2025 SEMEN CATALOG Market Your Elite Genetics

RESERVE YOUR SPACE BY NOV. 21!

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Wiley Ranch Spring Sale, Effie, La.

Nov. 23 South Texas Heritage Sale, Robstown, Texas March 22

The 2025 SGBI Semen Catalog is an incredible mar keting tool available to Santa Gertrudis breeders, so don’t miss your chance to be

2023 SEMEN CATALOG

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Purple Reign IV Sale, Magnolia, Ark.

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included in the 2025 catalog. As part of the January 2025 issue of Santa Gertrudis Source, the SGBI Semen Catalog will once again be

NEW MEMBERS

Junior Members Callie Schubach, Boling, Texas Kaitlyn Lavender, Stephenville, Texas Katy Missildine, De Kalb, Texas Lilly Morphis, Forney, Texas Skylar Johnson, Plantersville, Texas Anna Rustyn Phelps, Prattsville, Ark. Mckamie Jean, Emerson, Ark. Elizabeth Hutton, Linwood, N.C.

Active Members 4J Ranch, Fruitvale, Texas Fulcio Farm, Linden, Texas Vajdak Ranch, Snook, Texas

produced in English and Span ish. As a bonus, it will also have expanded distribution at Santa Gertrudis events, internationally and by request. Don’t miss your chance at this is unique opportunity. For more information and to reserve your space in the SGBI Semen Catalog, contact Darren Richmond at (423) 364-9281 or djrichmd@gmail.com .

Williams Ranch, Kountze, Texas Grace Family Farms, Belleville, Ark. Commercial Members Shawton Valley Farms, Somers, Conn.

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SGBI CONNECTIONS

SANTA GERTRUDIS BREEDERS INTERNATIONAL (SGBI) Executive Director Chris Mc Clure hit the ground running as soon as he came on board and has not stopped since. McClure is the first to emphasize that the member visits, trade shows, event attendances and other activities are very reflective of the interest and enthusiasm for Santa Gertrudis cattle, and the dedication and commitment of Santa Gertru dis breeders to develop productive, profitable cattle that fit today’s industry. For more on the travels of SGBI, visit www.linkedin.com/company/san ta-gertrudis-breeders-international/ or our other social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

LEFT: People often ask how straight Santa Gertrudis perform in the feedyard. The answer is, quite well. For efficient gain they are exceptional. How about 3.7 ADG with a 5.7 DMI? And if crossed with a Bos taurus , Santa Gertrudis-influenced feeders can exceed those performance metrics. These

This group of students from Texas State University pose challenging questions during a stop at the SGBI booth at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. The future looks bright with this great bunch of students.

straight-bred Santa Gertrudis cattle, owned and bred by Strait Ranches, are on feed at Southwest Feedyard, Hereford, Texas.

A group of young graduate students from Brazil visit the SGBI booth at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. All of them were interested in adding Santa Gertrudis genetics to their family operations back home. Bags containing catalogs and other information are flying south along with them on their return journey.

RIGHT: SGBI members Brian Bruner (Texas State University) and Heather Blewett (Buena Vida Cattle Company) discuss the new crop of Santa Gertrudis ET calves at the Freeman Center of Texas State University. The Freeman Center is a 3,500-acre teaching and research facility that allows the university to provide hands-on experience to students as well as contribute valuable research focused on practical applications for not only agriculture, but wildlife, horticulture, riparian science, climate change and other projects focused on sustainable food

Save the Date! IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HOT GERT SHOW Location TBD november 23, 2024

production that protects the environment. It is uniquely placed at the intersection of rapidly growing urban and suburban areas with the rural agricultural base of food production. Santa Gertrudis cattle are part of their research into sustainable livestock production. SGBI HAD A PRODUCTIVE AND BUSY TIME at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Conven tion and Expo in March. Executive Director Chris McClure talked with members, breeders, cattle industry producers and professionals about the value in adding Santa Gertrudis genetics to cow herds. The message: look to Santa Gertrudis to increase hybrid vigor, fertility, productivity and profit ability.

10th Anniversary

Good food. Good friends. Great Cattle. Be sure to join us!

SOUTH TEXAS Heritage Sale

 SELLING  Over 100 head of Functional, Productive Santa Gertrudis and STAR 5 Cattle!

For additional information, visit

LEFT: Brian Blakey and Bobby Johnson of Bluebonnet Meat Company stop by for a visit with Chris McClure. RIGHT: Allan Richards once ran more than 1,100 Santa Gertrudis cows. Now retired, Richards remains a staunch supporter of the breed and the value they bring to the industry.

S outh t exaS h eritage S ale . com

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